


First Time

by TanteTao



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 20:06:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17731775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TanteTao/pseuds/TanteTao
Summary: "Or you could just sleep here."That's what had led to him lying in this soft, luxurious bed stiff as a board and wide awake.The evening had begun quite pleasant: Magnus had invited him over for dinner – which had been absolutely delicious – and dessert had turned into drinks and drinks had turned into curling up on the sofa next to each other, talking, and that had led to kissing in between words – and suddenly it had been half past two in the morning.





	First Time

**Author's Note:**

> My heartfelt thanks go to my beta reader Jimmy C. as well as my beta reader and most fervent cheerleader [AlterEgon.](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlterEgon/pseuds/AlterEgon)

"No, they really wer—" Alec yawned in the middle of the word and barely managed to raise his hand to cover his mouth in time. Damn, was he tired. His gaze traveled to the living room clock. 2:33 am. _Wait, what?_ He blinked. The numbers stayed the same.

"Alexander? Is everything alright?" Magnus sounded half-confused, half-worried.

"What? No! I mean, yes, I—" Alec stammered. "Magnus, have you seen how late it is?"

Magnus shook his head before he turned around just far enough to be able to see the clock as well. "Oh."

"I'm sorry, Magnus. I've really enjoyed our evening, but I need to get back to the Institute." Alec sounded as reluctant to leave as he felt. "I go on duty at ten. I should get some sleep." He really didn't want to give everyone else another reason to disapprove of this relationship – beside the facts that Magnus was male and a Downworlder, that was.

"Oh, then you really need to get some sleep, Alexander," Magnus sounded sincere, but also kind of sad.

"Yeah, I should go home now," Alec agreed but made no move to get up.

"Or you could just sleep here," Magnus offered. "I'll make you a portal in the morning, when I'm not quite so tired myself."

Alec thought about it for only a second before he nodded. He knew that Magnus had a spacious, comfortable guest room where he'd let Luke Garroway stay while he recovered from the alpha bite. The bed there would ensure he got a full night's sleep before returning to duty the next day. And a portal in the morning sounded a lot more tempting than walking home right now. "Thank you, Magnus. I gladly accept."

"Great." Magnus rose with a smile and held out his hand to the young Shadowhunter on the sofa.

Alec grasped the offered hand and let Magnus pull him to his feet. He stretched and yawned again.

*

Magnus led the way to the master bedroom, suppressing another yawn. He really didn't mind staying up late, but he'd been surprised that he hadn't noticed how much time had passed until Alexander had brought it to his attention.

It took him a moment to realize that he didn't hear the second set of footsteps anymore. Magnus turned around, confused – and saw Alexander standing several feet away in the hallway, looking bewildered.

"Alexander? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I mean, no, I…" the young man cleared his throat and tried again. "Isn't the guest bedroom the other way?"

"Well, yes," Magnus replied, uncertain. "But my bedroom's this way. I thought—" He watched in confusion as Alexander blushed darkly. "Alexander?"

*

Alec felt his face radiate heat and knew he had blushed. How embarrassing! He'd thought he'd sleep in the guest room – or simply on the sofa like he'd done once before. He hadn't even _thought_ that Magnus might mean something else by 'you can sleep here'.

Of course, Magnus was used to much more experienced partners. Alec was quite sure none of them would have balked at sleeping with the man this early in the relationship. Still, to him it felt like it was too soon. They hadn't really gone beyond talking and some kissing so far. And while the kissing was _very_ nice, Alec wanted to wait a bit with the next step.

"I… but… Magnus… I mean…" Alec stammered. Realizing that Magnus had no chance to guess what he was trying to say, he swallowed and took a deep breath before he blurted: "IdontthinkImreadyforthat."

*

It took Magnus' brain a few moments to separate that string of sounds into words that actually made sense. _Oh_. He hadn't even considered that Alexander might not feel comfortable sharing a bed with him yet. It had been so very long since he'd been involved with a virgin, and even longer since he'd been one himself. He needed to keep in mind that everything relationship-related was new to the young man.

"I'm sorry, Alexander. I should have asked you if you'd prefer to sleep in the guest room. I just thought that my bed was plenty big enough for both of us and it would be nice to wake up next to you in the morning." Magnus tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his yearning out of his voice. It would have been _really_ nice to not sleep alone tonight.

He mentally shook himself free of that thought. "Let's go to the guest bedroom. I need to check if there's a spare toothbrush there. If not, I'll just summon you one."

*

The easy way in which Magnus adapted to his inexperience made Alec blush even harder. Especially since the thought of waking up next to Magnus in the morning caused a warm feeling in his chest. The problem was what the man would expect of him before that.

Why was this so difficult for him? Why couldn't he be a little more like his little sister? Izzy never hesitated to take what she wanted!

Besides, the tone of Magnus' words had suggested that he would have preferred Alec to sleep in the same bed but didn't want to pressure him. He even thought of getting Alec a toothbrush despite the disappointment he had to be feeling!

"I'm sorry, Magnus. Maybe I should just go home instead of inconveniencing you further. You need to get some sleep as well." Alec hesitated a moment. That had come out wrong, as if he'd gotten cold feet and was fleeing the loft. "I mean, your offer is very generous and everything, but I don't want to bother you and—" he shut up as he felt a gentle finger against his lips.

*

Magnus felt floored by Alexander's words. _Great. Now I scared him off! If I had offered him the guest room right away, he'd at least still be here for breakfast._

He stepped forward and gently laid a finger against Alexander's lips to stop the flow of words. His eyes found those of his boyfriend. "Alexander, you're not inconveniencing _or_ bothering me. I meant it when I invited you to stay the night, and the invitation includes toiletries and a breakfast in the morning, no matter which room you sleep in."

When it looked like Alexander wanted to protest, he slightly increased the pressure of his finger. "Let me finish, please, before you reply, Alexander. It is perfectly alright for you to prefer to go home right now and I most certainly won't hold it against you. I'm just asking you not to make the decision based on the errant assumption that you sleeping here burdens me in any way."

*

"I'm not worried about _sleeping_ here," Alec blurted before he could stop himself. Magnus' questioning look made him blush an even darker shade of red.

"What _are_ you worried about?" Magnus wanted to know.

"That I haven't done it before," Alec mumbled.

"You have slept here before, on the sofa," Magnus reminded him.

Alec sighed. "No. I mean, yes, I have, but that's not what I meant." He took a deep breath. Spelling this out for Magnus was so embarrassing! "I haven't slept with anyone," he finally added very quietly.

*

Alexander's words startled Magnus. Of course he'd known that his boyfriend was a virgin and hadn't ever had a relationship before. Thus, he should have chosen his words more carefully. Most people he knew would have assumed that sharing a bed meant more than just sleeping next to each other.

Now that he was thinking about it, he realized that Alexander probably hadn't even shared a bed with anyone since he'd been a child either. From what he knew about his boyfriend's family and his life as a Shadowhunter, it didn't seem like there were regular cuddles involved – either by friends or by family members.

Magnus rose on his toes, curled one hand around the back of his boyfriend's head and pulled him down into a gentle, chaste kiss. "I'm sorry, Alexander. I should have been more precise in my wording," he said once he'd released the young man again.

"What I was offering when I invited you to stay over was to share my bed for sleeping, and only for sleeping. There might be a good-night kiss involved, but that's it. It's perfectly alright to enjoy this stage of the relationship and not hurry to move on to the next step."

*

Alec enjoyed that kiss but flushed an even darker shade of red at Magnus' words. _Great. His offer was perfectly innocent, but your mind went and turned it into something else._

"Magnus, I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed… I should know you better… I'm _sorry_!" He didn't really know what else to say.

The return of a finger against his lips surprised him.

"Shhh, Alexander. No need to be sorry. Do you want to stay, or do you want to leave? Your decision will not lessen my feelings or my respect for you."

Alec followed his instincts and pressed a soft kiss to that finger as he thought. He didn't really want to leave – and it wasn't because getting a portal in the morning was so much more appealing than returning home right now. Staying in the guest room suddenly didn't feel right anymore either, though. Not after their conversation. Alec knew that he could trust Magnus, and maybe it was time he showed it as well.

"I'd like to stay," he told his boyfriend and took a few steps in the direction of the master bedroom.

*

Magnus was startled by the direction Alexander was walking in. He'd already opened his mouth and taken a deep breath when he decided it would be better _not_ to ask if his boyfriend was really sure he wanted to share his bed this night. He needed to trust Alexander's decision.

He first followed his boyfriend and then walked past him to open the bedroom door and invite Alexander into the room with a smile.

"Do you prefer to sleep in underwear and t-shirt, or would you like to borrow some of my pajamas? I can adjust the size for you if necessary." Which it probably was.

*

Alec froze the moment he walked through the door, too busy taking in everything he saw to remember walking. The room was luxuriously furnished and lavishly decorated. The sheets looked to be made from silk. This room was… very Magnus, he decided. Then he registered the question his boyfriend had asked him.

"I, um, I think I better borrow pajamas," he mumbled, mortified at the thought of sleeping next to Magnus in his underwear. Alec was sure he'd feel terribly exposed with bare legs. Besides, he hadn't exactly worn his best or newest pair of shorts today. After all, nobody but himself ever saw what he had under his pants, right?

When Magnus held out the folded pajamas to him – black silk with silver trimming – Alec hesitated. Was he expected to change in here? Should he ask Magnus to look away while he did so? Or would that be ridiculous?

*

Magnus watched with a confused frown as Alexander just stood there, pajamas in his hand. What was he waiting for? A moment later he thought he understood. He grabbed a towel from the closet and used a bit of his magic to summon a new toothbrush, then offered both to his boyfriend.

"Alexander? Would you like to use the bathroom first? Toothpaste is in the cabinet behind the middle panel of the mirror, shower gel and shampoo are in the shower stall. The wet towel goes into the hamper."

He accepted Alexander's 'thank you' with a smile and watched the young man walk into the bathroom.

*

Wow. This bathroom was _huge_! Alec spun in a slow circle as he took it all in.

The large bathtub looked very inviting, but he really didn't want to overstep boundaries. Magnus had invited him to brush his teeth and use the shower, not take a nice, long bath!

Alec unpacked the toothbrush and stepped in front of the sink. He frowned as he saw his reflection: his jaw and part of his cheeks were covered in black stubble. Unfortunately, he didn't have a razor with him and would have to live with the facial hair until he returned to the Institute.

After brushing his teeth, Alec took a quick shower but left his hair dry. The shower gel smelled fruity and exotic – neither of which were adjectives he'd have used to describe his own.

Once he was dry again, he put on the borrowed pajamas. They fit loosely across his shoulders, and were too short on his arms and legs, but he could wear them.

Alec picked up his folded clothes and returned to the bedroom.

*

Magnus, pajamas thrown over his arm, let his gaze travel up and down Alexander's body. Damn, but he liked seeing the young man in his clothes!

He gestured at the too short legs and sleeves. "Want me to adjust those for you?"

Alexander nodded. "That would be great."

Magnus collected a bit of magic with a quick movement of his fingers and threw it at the pajamas, forcing them to adjust to Alexander's limb length and shoulder width.

Damn, now the young man looked even better. He might have to take a cold shower before joining his boyfriend in bed…

Magnus summoned an armchair and placed it against the wall next to the bed on the side he usually didn't use. "Just leave your clothes there, Alexander. I can freshen them up for you in the morning, too. Feel free to get into bed while I'm in the bathroom."

*

Alec's eyes followed Magnus – or, more precisely, his slightly swinging hips and perfectly formed butt – as he stepped into the bathroom. Only after the door had been pushed shut did the young man manage to tear his gaze away and place his folded clothes on the armchair. He removed his phone and stele from the pile and put both items on the night stand where he could easily reach them from the bed.

He looked at the bed. It was _big_. The silk sheets shimmered golden. Alec hesitated. Somehow it didn't feel right to climb in and wait under the covers. What would it say about him, though, if he stayed right here and ignored Magnus' invitation?

Alec fidgeted, clenching and unclenching his hands. What was the right thing to do here?

*

Magnus stripped and threw his clothes in the hamper. He opened the cabinet behind the mirror, reached out for the makeup remover and stopped mid-motion. Was he really ready to let Alexander see him without any makeup on? Maybe the young man would be disappointed once there were no fancy clothes and no flashy makeup anymore to enhance his body and features?

Magnus lowered his hand and looked in the mirror. Right now, his styling was still impeccable. With a tiny bit of magic, it would stay that way until Alexander was back at the Institute. It wouldn't take much effort.

He made a beckoning movement with his fingers and immediately saw the sparks of gathering magic. Eyes fixed on his reflection in the mirror, Magnus took a deep breath – and let the magic dissipate. Hiding his true self behind beauty products wasn't a good way to start their first night together.

Instead, he removed all of his makeup meticulously and brushed his teeth before he took a quick shower and washed his hair. Magnus hurried through his daily beauty routine because he didn't want to make Alexander wait too long. Thankfully, the generous application of magic sped things up considerably.

When Magnus finally put on his pajamas, he smelled faintly of his favorite deodorant, his face was bare of any makeup and his hair was brushed to one side, a few strands falling across his forehead. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the bedroom.

*

Alec had finally found a compromise between getting into bed and staying on his feet: he was sitting on the edge of the mattress, feet still on the floor and his hands flat on his thighs. The position felt awkward, but he had no idea how to change that.

The bathroom door opened again, and Alec had to swallow, hard, at the sight. It wasn't just that the silk pajamas were hugging the lines of Magnus' body. He'd never before seen his boyfriend without makeup. Or with his hair not styled into some impressive shape.

Magnus looked simply magnificent! Alec's mouth felt dry, and his face hot. Maybe he should have considered the implications of staying the night more carefully instead of panicking over what his boyfriend might ask of him…

*

"Alexander. Is the bed not to your liking? Would you prefer different sheets?" Magnus asked when he saw that his boyfriend was not in bed yet. Adjusting the sheets would be a matter of seconds, after all.

Alexander blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "No, that's not it. I… I was kind of worried I might fall asleep before you returned. That would have been… impolite?"

Magnus smiled fondly at his boyfriend. "Alexander, it would have been totally alright for you to fall asleep. That's what the bed is for, actually." He closed the bathroom door. "Do you need anything – a glass of water maybe? Or would you like to go to bed?"

*

Alec was glad he couldn't see his own face right then. Judging by how hot it felt, it must have been bright red. He couldn't help it; his brain had seized the 'go to bed' part and supplied him with thoughts of what might happen once they both were actually _in_ the bed together.

Right now, he wasn't even sure whether those thoughts worried or excited him. Magnus looked absolutely gorgeous, and Alec could feel his heartbeat in his throat every time he looked at his boyfriend. How was he supposed to sleep with temptation incarnate lying right next to him?

"Alexander?"

Apparently, he had been lost in his thoughts for too long. Magnus sounded slightly worried. Alec cleared his throat again, hoping his turbulent thoughts weren't going to change the quality of his voice too noticeably. "No, I… I'm fine. Thank you, though."

Magnus didn't look quite convinced yet, but walked over to his side of the bed and folded the covers back. "Would you like me to leave a light on?" he asked his boyfriend as he himself climbed into bed.

Alec followed his example more slowly. "Whatever is more convenient for you," he replied as he slipped under the covers. He could always activate his Nyx rune, after all, if he needed to go to the bathroom during the night.

*

Magnus barely suppressed a sigh. How was he supposed to make Alexander comfortable in his bedroom if the man didn't tell him what he wanted?

Making a quick decision, Magnus summoned some magic and made a small but intricately shaped crystal night light appear on the dresser. He switched off all other lights in the room with another bit of magic and then adjusted the soft golden glow of the night light until he was satisfied with the result.

When he was done, he glanced over at Alexander, who had pulled the covers up to his chin by now. "May I kiss you good night, Alexander?" Magnus asked his boyfriend.

*

Alec was surprised by the change the different quality and angle of the lighting made to the room. It felt cozier and more intimate in seconds. On the one hand, he enjoyed this atmosphere. On the other, it made his stomach do somersaults that were part anticipation and part fear.

Magnus' question startled him. Of course he wanted the good-night kiss, but would it lead to more now that they were in bed together? Still, he only hesitated for a second before he nodded and leaned up to meet his boyfriend half-way.

Their lips touched in a gentle, loving caress. Alec's eyes closed of their own volition and his hand crept into the soft hair at the nape of Magnus' neck. He was almost disappointed when his boyfriend pulled back again.

*

Magnus forced himself to end the kiss before he could get carried away. He'd promised Alexander that they would only share the bed for sleeping, after all.

"Good night, Alexander. Sleep well," he said quietly with a loving smile and let himself sink back against the pillow.

"Good night, Magnus. You too," the young man next to him replied, smiling back at him.

Magnus pulled the covers up to his shoulders and wriggled around a bit until he'd found the perfect position to sleep in: on his side, facing his boyfriend. He really didn't want to close his eyes but was worried that Alexander might feel uncomfortable if he kept looking at him for much longer.

*

Right. Sleep. Alec inhaled deeply and breathed out again slowly. How was he supposed to sleep right now? He suddenly didn't feel sleepy anymore. His blood was rushing through his veins, and he was all too aware that he wasn't alone in this bed. He could feel it every time Magnus moved even the slightest bit because the mattress would move with him. Alec couldn't remember the last time he'd shared a bed with someone. It had to have been some time in his childhood. His very early childhood, probably.

He'd never even shared a bed with his _parabatai_. When Jace had come to live with them, he would have loved to spend the night talking or reading or planning with him in a big bed, hiding books and witchlight stones under the covers. Jace would probably have run for the hills, though, had he suggested it back then. A few years later, Alec had been quite happy they'd never gotten into the habit. Otherwise, it would have been even more difficult to hide his crush.

All that led to him not knowing how to do this. Was he supposed to turn onto his side as well so he'd face Magnus? Or would that count as an invitation for more? Should he just close his eyes and hope to fall asleep quickly? What if he couldn't calm down enough? His body didn't feel like it was in the mood for sleep right now.

He needed to sleep though. Or at least lie still. If he could feel it every time Magnus moved, then the same would be true the other way around as well. This was shaping up to be a _long_ night.

*

Magnus could tell that Alexander wasn't asleep yet. His breathing was too irregular and his body too still. He almost sighed. This wasn't working at all like it was supposed to!

Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything to change the situation for the better. Opening his eyes and trying to discuss the matter with Alexander would probably just lead to awkward stammering and even tenser muscles. Putting his boyfriend under a sleeping spell would guarantee both of them uninterrupted sleep but would only be acceptable with Alexander's permission. Which brought him back to the problem of any kind of conversation about the subject being likely to make the young man even more tense.

The only thing Magnus could actually do was keep his eyes closed and pretend to be asleep already. Maybe Alexander would calm down and relax once he realized that there would be no unwanted advances of any kind.

*

Alec slowly unclenched his hands from around the covers and slipped into meditative breathing. He'd had to learn it during his archery training and it usually worked wonders to calm him down.

He blinked a few times before he closed his eyes and pictured himself on the archery range. _The weight of the bow in his left hand was familiar and welcome, a lot like coming home. Alec picked an arrow from the quiver and nocked it to the string. He breathed in deeply, raised the bow in one fluid motion and pulled the string back to his chin. Holding his breath, he corrected his aim and with a small contraction of the rhomboid major let the arrow fly._

_Alec made sure to keep the bow steady and not follow the arrow with his eyes for several seconds to avoid changing its trajectory through contact with the riser. When he finally breathed out and looked up, he could just make out the red fletching on the shaft at the left edge of the center ring. Correcting his stance a little, Alec picked up another arrow…_

*

Warm sunlight on his face woke Alec from his sleep. He tried to rub his eyes, but his arm was caught under something heavy. He was immediately wide awake and ready to defend himself.

He didn't expect the sight that greeted him when he opened his eyes, though. It took him a moment to recognize the room he was in, and a few seconds more to identify the weight on his arm: somehow, Magnus and he must have migrated towards each other in their sleep because they were more or less in the middle of the bed with Alec flat on his back and Magnus lying on top of his arm and snuggled into his side.

Alec blushed when he realized that his hand had crept up under his boyfriend's pajama top and was caressing soft and very warm skin while Magnus' leg was thrown over his own with the silk-clad thigh dangerously close to his morning wood. He could feel a similar hardness against his thigh.

How had they managed to end up like this? What was he supposed to do now? Maybe he could extricate himself from this embarrassing position without waking up Magnus? Then he could pretend this had never happened. He just needed to move very carefu—

"Mmmmh, morning."

The way he could feel Magnus' warm breath through the silk pajamas made Alec shiver seconds before his whole body went tense. _Too late_.

*

Magnus decided he wanted to wake up like this every single morning: warm, safe and held by the man he loved. If it were up to him, he'd stay right where he was for the rest of the day. It hadn't escaped his notice, though, that Alexander was anything but comfortable with their current position. The way his body had gone rigid – not the good kind that happened to a certain part, mind – had spoken volumes.

It was with some regret that Magnus carefully pushed himself up on his elbow and refrained from snuggling closer and exploring the lithe body of his boyfriend. He chastely brushed his lips against Alexander's before he scooted back a little to give the young man some space.

"Did you sleep well?"

*

Alec felt his face radiate heat. The kiss was nice, but his mind was quite preoccupied. What was going to happen now? What should he do? Was there a rule about what to do the first time you woke up together?

He cleared his throat and managed a somewhat hoarse "Good morning, Magnus. I did, thank you." It didn't even sound like his own voice! Still, it wouldn't be polite not to inquire about his boyfriend's night, right? Alec cleared his throat again. "I trust you slept well, too?" Alec was embarrassed to notice that the words had come out in a squeak.

"Very well, thank you for asking," Magnus told him with a happy smile.

Alec immediately felt more heat rise to his face, his traitorous mind reminding him of the position they'd woken up in. "Ummm…" He closed his mouth again, not knowing what to say. He was acutely aware that his erection hadn't subsided. Since they'd apparently pushed the covers down during the night and the thin silk pajamas did nothing to hide the hardness, there was only a very slim chance Magnus hadn't noticed his condition yet.

*

It was almost cute, Magnus thought, how embarrassed Alexander seemed to be by their situation. Or maybe his reaction to their closeness? Could that be it? The way Alexander's gaze flickered down his own body, to the covers and away again was all Magnus needed to identify the issue.

He sat up cross-legged, still facing his boyfriend and looked into the beloved face. "Alexander?"

Once the young man's attention was focused on him, Magnus went on. "You _do_ know that it's a perfectly natural reaction that just happens over night? To you," he just barely refrained from gesturing towards Alexander's midsection, "to me," he continued, indicating his own groin, "and to just about every other man out there. There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. While you are very adorable when you blush, I will not misinterpret something you have no control over as informed consent."

Magnus hesitated a moment before he decided to take a small risk. "Another time, though, when we've had the chance to get to know each other a bit better, I will gladly take care of that for you." The heated look he graced his boyfriend's crotch with left no doubt which 'that' he meant.

*

Alec couldn't suppress a full body shiver at the thought of Magnus touching him _there_. The heat of arousal the mere idea caused almost made him embarrass himself in front of his boyfriend in another way. He swallowed.

"I… um… it's… I mean… is… canIusethebathroomfirst?" he blurted out, desperate to leave the room before Magnus could say or do anything else and push him over the edge.

"Of course," Magnus agreed without hesitation, obviously either capable of deciphering the words or just guessing correctly. "Let me just summon a razor for you. What kind do you prefer?"

"E-electrical," Alec stammered.

Magnus immediately used his magic to provide his boyfriend with a shiny new electrical razor. "Just leave it next to the sink when you're done. I'll find a spot for it later, for the next time you stay over."

"Thanks," Alec mumbled as he took the device. Now he just needed to get to the bathroom without any accidents. As soon as he closed the door behind himself, he could drop the pants and take care of his almost painful erection without risking stains on borrowed clothes…

*

Watching Alexander carefully walk to the bathroom brought a fond smile to Magnus' lips. He was already looking forward to coaxing his rather shy and inexperienced boyfriend out of his shell with time.

Now though, other things were more important. He'd promised Alexander to freshen up his clothes this morning, after all. Breakfast might be a good idea as well.

Magnus summoned his dressing gown and slipped it on as he got up. Plenty of things to do…


End file.
